AI All Around
Issue 31 — Key Developments Across the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam
Editor’s Note
by Karen Ysabelle R. David, Lead Editor - Pacific Corridor Desk
This week in the Pacific Corridor, a common thread emerges: as each country looks toward the future, it is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) will become an inescapable fact of life, if it isn’t already.
In Vietnam, Tri Vo writes about the country’s vision for a progressive and innovative “Era of Rise.” But more than just a vision for economic expansion and GDP growth targets, Vietnam’s technological sector has optimistically dubbed AI as the new “core engine” for urban governance.
Yet in the Philippines, Arianne De Guzman exposes how AI’s rise has changed how the sexual abuse of women and children occurs, with the technology’s advancements and subsequent risks far outpacing the rules and laws meant to regulate it. Left unchecked, AI has the potential to exacerbate the discrimination and abuse that women and children already face.
And in Nurul Aini’s article about Singapore, even something as seemingly small-scale as a new hybrid canteen model being implemented in select schools has brought up AI. When even the simple act of eating involves technology, there is a very real fear that the world we live in will become increasingly automated and impersonal, with AI all around us.
Vietnam 🇻🇳
From Volume to Value
by Tri Vo, in Ho Chi Minh City
The end of 2025 also signified the end of the beginning of a period of incredible changes in Vietnam. Under the direction of To Lam, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Hanoi has articulated a vision for a distinct “Era of Rise,” signaling a departure from the more cautious approach of administrations past and toward a more aggressive expansion agenda. This new spirit was reflected in the recent GDP growth target of at least 10% for 2026 approved by the National Assembly, a figure that far exceeds the forecasts of international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund.
The preliminary economic data of Vietnam in 2025 confirms that the rationale for this ambitious target is not without foundation. Indeed, the economy was on track to close 2025 with growth exceeding 8%, driven by a manufacturing sector that expanded by 9.5%. Crucially, total export turnover is projected to hit a record US$470 billion, marking a 16% increase year-on-year despite the global trade tumults in 2025, the most notable of which is the major rise in US tariff rates — one of, if not the largest, export markets for Vietnam.
However, the “Era of Rise” sees growth not merely as the expansion in volume but also as a progression in the quality of it. Recent debates have centered on escaping the processing trap, i.e., the reliance on the low-rung, low-value assembly for foreign direct investment firms as an engine for growth.
The first few signs that signal this shift could be seen in the agricultural and forestry sectors. On 22 December, the Vietnam Administration of Forestry officially launched the “Vietnam Wood” certification mark. As noted by industry leaders at the launch, this is a critical step to standardizing quality and to securing firmer footing in markets that place a high emphasis on quality as well as environmental and social responsibility, like the EU, rather than competing solely on the basis of price competitiveness.
Simultaneously, the technology sector is pivoting from “outsourcing” to “solution generation.” At the Vietnam-Asia Smart City Summit 2025 held in Hanoi on 23 December, the focus shifted entirely to artificial intelligence (AI) as the new “core engine” for urban governance. Policymakers and tech giants discussed deploying AI not just as a supporting tool for efficiency, but to solve critical governmental and operational bottlenecks that threaten to stifle major urban centers, Vietnam’s economic engines, and by extension, the lofty 10% growth target for 2026.
Yet, while the macroeconomic indicators for 2025 are robust, the success of the “Era of Rise” in 2026 and beyond will depend almost entirely on further “institutional breakthroughs” within the Vietnamese state to further accommodate and buttress the ambitious growth target. As such, 2026 will likely see further reforms in the administrative and fiscal fields on a scale similar to those seen in 2025 to cement the momentum gained as of now. Such reforms might engender some initial disruptions, but if the past is prologue, they, like those in 2025, will be the propellant with which Vietnam can move up in a world of increasing disruptions, where what has worked as of now will prove inadequate in the face of upheaval.
Tri has experience in management consulting and strategy, having worked with institutions such as the UNDP, The Asia Group, and ARC Group. He has provided strategic, legal, and operational insights to clients in sectors including manufacturing, energy, and technology. He holds both academic and professional experience related to Southeast and East Asia, with a focus on regional development and policy.
The Philippines 🇵🇭
From Innovation to Exploitation
by Arianne De Guzman, in Bulacan
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how sexual abuse occurs, with women and children increasingly affected by AI-enabled sexual exploitation.
On 6 January 2026, the AI chatbot Grok faced scrutiny following the circulation of sexualized AI-generated images of women and minors on the X social media platform owned by Elon Musk. Reuters’ report shows that there have been more than 20 cases where women and children have been a subject of user requests to “strip” their clothes using Grok’s AI system.
These developments are not merely global concerns.
In the Philippines, these vulnerabilities are documented in the Foundation for Media Alternatives’ December 2025 Digital Rights Round-Up. Online sexual abuse and the exploitation of women and children were found to be widespread across cities and municipalities, highlighting the perils of rapidly evolving generative AI technologies that can amplify existing harms at scale.
During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, content creator Queen Hera shared that her daughter was a victim of deepfake pornography, describing how a photo sent to her on Instagram showed that her daughter’s face was edited on a man’s private part. Ordinary images shared innocently online were digitally altered into abusive material, demonstrating how children have become susceptible to exploitation in an AI-enabled environment. During the same hearing, actress Angel Aquino disclosed that she was informed by her friend that there was a deepfake pornographic video that was circulating using her face.
These stories illustrate that while AI generative technologies are advancing, their risks are also intensifying. More than tools, AI’s impact on women and children is not only a potential risk but a present and lived harm. Technology-facilitated sexual abuse differs from traditional forms as it relies on its capacity to fabricate realism. Today, women and children can be violated or abused without ever being physically present or photographed and filmed.
In response, House Bill No. 807, also known as the “Take it Down Act of 2025,” penalizes the creation and distribution of AI-generated sexually explicit content, such as deepfakes and altered images used for harassment and exploitation. The measure also aims to establish a national “Take It Down” portal that will mandate platforms to remove harmful content within 48 hours of notice, with penalties imposed if the victims are minors. Filed on 1 July 2025, the bill remains pending with the Committee on Information and Communications Technology. While it represents a significant step toward AI-enabled sexual abuse, the prolonged legislative process allows more women and children to suffer.
As warned by renowned linguist Noam Chomsky, “machine learning…will degrade our science and debase our ethics by incorporating into our technology a fundamentally flawed conception of language and knowledge.” In AI systems, images and language are processed as neutral data, not as people with rights, dignity, and the ability to consent. Sexual abuse can thus be reduced to a technical output rather than a recognized lived violation. In that way, knowledge and language – both forms of power – are embedded in AI in ways that reinforce structural injustice.
Evolving technologies such as generative AI create spaces that exacerbate existing power imbalances, particularly affecting women, who have been historically marginalized, and children who cannot give consent. AI may not create these biases, but it amplifies them.
Arianne has experience in policy research at De La Salle University’s Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance, where she contributed to projects on systemic reform. She earned a degree in Political Science from Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Currently, she works in government relations, specializing in advocacy strategy, legislative monitoring, and stakeholder engagement. Beyond her professional work, she is actively involved in youth development and grassroots initiatives through the Rotaract Club of Santa Maria.
Singapore 🇸🇬
Hybrid Food Canteen Model in Singapore’s Schools
by Nurul Aini, in Singapore
As Indonesia trudges through the Free Meal Program, 13 Singapore schools are piloting a new canteen model in January 2026 – a hybrid of live canteen stall operators, and bento food catered through a central kitchen model managed by external vendors. This shift is meant to increase operational efficiency in response to students’ feedback on long queues during recess time and to mitigate challenges faced by a high school’s canteen vendors to provide affordable meals amid rising ingredient prices in 2025.
This new canteen model demonstrates an instance of Singapore’s pragmatic use of technology to ease daily operations. Through this system, students and staff can pre-order food through an app. When recess time arrives, students can collect their bento from food lockers or automated meal dispensers by tapping on the terminals with their EZ-Link cards.
Aligned with nutritional requirements set by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), these meals are required to maintain appropriate portions while providing complete nutrition through wholegrains, vegetables, proteins, and fruits. For caterers like Chang Cheng Holdings, its chefs will work alongside dietitians to make eating vegetables more appealing by including colorful vegetables or dressing them in tasty sauce. Expanded options for halal food and other dietary requirements, such as vegetarianism, through daily menu rotations may also mean that much more variety is provided than through live stalls.
However, issues on the quality of the food have popped up, while the impact of such shifts on students’ soft skills is questioned. Students have lamented that the higher prices of catered food did not equate to better quality, and that they prefer food from live canteen vendors. The price difference between “regular” and “premium” food also risks stratifying the quality of food beyond sizing up options. Comments have also emerged on Reddit criticizing the presentation of the bento food, likening them to military cookhouse food and prison food.
For Darwin Gorsal, a product manager and a father of three school-going children, purchasing from canteen vendors provides another practical mode of educating students on self-sufficiency and interacting with the community. He advocates for another mode of operation where students can be involved in serving fellow schoolmates, cleaning and understanding where the food comes from. To him, empathy can be developed through such acts of service. Students can also understand labor’s dignity through cleaning. He concurs that, “[i]n an age where artificial intelligence increasingly automates mental labor, these forms of “heart work” remain irreplaceable.” For Adrian Yeap, whose child studies in CHIJ Kellock, live canteens allow for students to maintain autonomy over one aspect of their life through decision-making. Rishi Budhrani, a local comedian, host, and actor, has also pointed out the spontaneity that purchasing at live canteens allow, also emphasizing its emotional regulatory effects.
For canteen vendors, switching to catered food also means that some must now step aside after serving generations of students, with some retiring and others assisting with logistics. While the change seems to be harmless, the introduction of such technology demonstrates yet another instance where technological advancement comes into conflict with human empathy.
Aini is currently pursuing a master’s degree in English literature at Nanyang Technological University. She has experience working in youth groups, contributing to the planning and management of outreach activities.
Editorial Deadline 13/01/2026 11:59 PM (UTC +8)
Superb roundup of AI's varied impacts across ASEAN! The contrast between Vietnam's techno-optimism about AI governance and the Philippines' deepfake crisis really captures the dual-use dilemma. What struck me most was the Singapore canteen example, which seems trivial on the surface but actually ilustrates how automation can erode those small everyday interactions that build social skills. I worked briefly in ed-tech policy, and we kept running into this tradeoff where efficiency gains came at the cost of whatDarwin Gorsal calls "heart work." The Chomsky quote about degrading science and debasing ethics feels especially relevant when AI flattens human dignity into data points.